Means for interconnecting fan guard frame sections



Jan. 6, 1953 iv M I m @Mflm llul Patented Jan. 6, 1953 MEANS FOR INTERCONNECTING FAN GUARD FRAME SECTIONS John H. Viewegh, Indianapolis, Ind.; Alice N. Viewegh executrix of said John H. Viewegh,

deceased Application April 20, 1950, Serial No. 157,116

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a fan guard and more particularly to a means for interconnectin fan guard frame sections.

A primary purpose of the invention is to provide means free of clamps, screws, and bolts for interconnecting front and rear sections of a fan guard.

An important purpose is to form front and back frame sections of a fan guard which sections can be nested together to reduce the overall thickness of the fan guard for storage or shipping.

A further important purpose of the construction is to form an interconnecting, integral structure for uniting the frame sections about a fan without removing the fan.

A still further important object of this invention is to provide a fan guard section interconnecting means which is extremely simple, efficient, and inexpensive, wherein the sections simply snap into engagement one with the other.

Further important objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of one particular form of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a fan guard embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a detail in section on an enlarged scale illustrating the relationship of the major diameter rings of front and rear fan guard frame sections.

Referring to the drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, the fan guard consists of a rear frame section generally designated by the numeral and. a front frame section generally designated by the numeral II.

The rear frame section consists of a plurality of spaced apart circular rings, herein shown as a major diameter ring l2, an intermediate ring l3, and a minor diameter ring M. The rings are interconnected and radially spaced apart by a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart spokes it which extend radially outwardly from the minor ring l4 and then curve forwardly to be fixed across the inside of the ring l2.

The major ring I2 is formed to define a plane by its outermost side, wherein all portions of that side lie within the plane with the exception of a U-shaped portion l1 which is directed substan tially normally and forwardly from that plane. The ring l2 and this portion 11 is in effect one continuous piece of wire, elastic in nature, such as spring steel wire. By reason of the ring l2 having this intervening portion I! as an integral part thereof, the ring may be contracted circumferentially in its plane to reduce its circumferential length by the contraction of this U portion H. The inherent elasticity of this portion ll tends at all times to return the ring to a normal, initial fixed circumferential length within its plane.

Some mounting means is provided to support the section It. One such means consists of a plurality of circumferentially spaced metal straps l3 herein shown as four in number, having their outer ends I9 looped around the ring l3 and their inner end portions 20 secured to the minor ring l4 with arms 2| ivotally connected to the inner ends 29. These arms 2| have transversely extending ends 23 which are used to attach the fan guard to varying sizes of fan motors (not shown). This particular fan guard mounting means is more completely described and claimed in my copending application No. 29,541, filed May 27, 1948, now Patent No. 2,542,735,

The front section II consists of a plurality of spaced circular rings, herein shown as a major diameter rin 25 and three smaller rings of progressively smaller diameters, 26, 21, and 28, interconnected by a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart spokes 29, .shown herein as twelve, extending radially outwardly from a central member 24 to curve rearwardly by outer ends, into offset end portions 3| lapping over and across the outer side of the ring 25. These end portions 3| provide a recess 30 under the portions 3| and forwardly of the ring 25. These recesses 30 are adapted to receive the major ring I2 on the rear frame In .thereacross in each instance.

The major ring 25 is made to have the same normal diameter as that of the ring [2, and likewise to define a plane, from which there is a U-shaped portion 32' extending substantially normally and rearwardly therefrom. The ring 25 and the portion 32 constitutesin effect one con tinuous length of wire of elastic nature such as steel wire. The essential characteristic of this ring 25 is that its circumferential length may be increased in its plane under expansion of the portion 32.

To assemble the two sections I0 and M, Fig. 3, the major ring, 25 is brought relatively against the major ring E2. The ring 25 is then expanded and the ring l2 contracted by forcing the ring 25 over the ring I2. In this action the ring 25 is relatively expanded while the ring 12 is 3 relatively contracted in diameter, one in respect to the other.

The ring is in effect pushed rearwardly telescopically over the ring I2, and then the ring 25 snaps back of the ring I 2, to permit both rings to return to their normal common diameters under influence of the respective U portions 32 and I7 whereby the ring [2 then is positioned across the recesses 30, wherein the ring [2 is held snugly therein against fore and aft travel, and in compressive contact against the forward side of the ring 25.

For storage or shipping purposes, the rear section 10 separated from the section II may be reversed in position and placed inside of the front section II to nest the two sections one with the other and thus reduce the over-all thickness of the two units. It is also convenient to nest a number of the units together for shipment or storage.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in one particular form, it is obvious that structural changes may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations which may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a fan guard comprising detachable front and rear frame sections, means for interconnecting said sections comprising in combination a first elastic ring in the front plane of said rear section; a second elastic ring in the rear plane of said front section; both of said rings having elastic U-shaped members integrally formed therein to permit expansion and contraction of the diameters of said rings; a plurality of rearwardly extending wire members fixed to one of said rings; each of said members presenting an abutment surface adjacent said first ring and spaced ini wardly from the outer surface of said one ring; a plurality of forwardly extending wire members fixed to the other ring; each of said members presenting a horizontal abutment adjacent said other ring and spaced outwardly from the inner surface of said other ring and a second abutment spaced from said other ring and extending obliquely inwardly and away from said horizontal abutment; said last mentioned abutments and said other ring forming a plurality of recesses to receive the one ring; both of said rings and said U-shaped members having an elastic preformed set biasing said one ring within said recesses.

2. Means for securing a front section to a rear section of a fan guard, comprising in combination a ring member on the rear of said front section; a ring member on the front of said rear section; at least one of said ring members being formed from resilient material and having a resilient member formed therein to permit expansion and contraction of the diameter of said ring member; a plurality of spoke members fixed to one of said ring members and extending longitudinally therefrom, each of said spoke members providing an abutment adjacent said ring member and spaced outwardly from the inner surface of said ring member and a second abutment adjacent said first abutment and longitudinally spaced away from said ring member; said abutments and said ring member thus forming a plurality of recesses to receive the other ring member.

3. In a fan guard comprising detachable front and rear frame sections, means for interconnecting said sections comprising in combination a first elastic ring in the front plane of said rear section; a second elastic ring in the rear plane of said front section; both of said rings having elastic U-shaped members integrally formed therein to permit expansion and contraction of the diameters of said rings; a plurality of rearwardly extending wire members fixed to one of said rings; each of said members presenting an abutment surface adjacent said first ring and spaced inwardly from the outer surface of said one ring; a plurality of forwardly extending wire members fixed to the other ring; each of said members presenting a horizontal abutment adjacent said other ring and spaced outwardly from the inner surface of said other ring and a second abutment spaced from said other ring and extending obliquely inwardly and away from said horizontal abutment; said last mentioned abutments and said other ring forming a plurality of recesses to receive the one ring; both of said rings and said U-shaped members having an elastic preformed set biasing said one ring within said recesses; a plurality of spoke members fixed to and extending longitudinally away from said other ring member; said spoke members presenting an abutment adjacent said other ring member and spaced inwardly from the outer surface of said other ring member to bear against the outer surface of said one ring member.

4. Means for detachably securing together two frame sections comprising in combination a resilient ring on one frame section having an elastic preformed set therein; a localized deformation in the ring to permit expansion and contraction therethrough of the ring diameter; a ring on the other frame section; a plurality of abutments adjacent one of said rings and spaced outwardly from the inner surface of said one ring; and a plurality of abutments spaced longitudinally from said one ring; a plurality of abutments carried by the other ring and spaced inwardly from the outer surface of said other ring.

5. Means for detachably securing two frame sections comprising a first ring in one of said frame sections; a second ring in the other frame section; a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart inwardly opening recesses carried by said first ring; said recesses being formed to receive and retain said second ring therein; a bow in at least one of said rings having an elastic preformed set therein to permit expansion and contraction of the diameter of said elastic ring; whereby, when the second ring is in said recesses, the preformed set in said elastic ring will hold said second ring in said recesses.

6. In a fan guard comprising detachable opposing sections, an elastic ring presented across one section, and an elastic ring presented across the other section, the two rings being presented one toward the other to come into contact in a common plane, at least one of said rings having an integral portion extending laterally therefrom through a U bend whereby the circumferential length of said one ring may be varied by contraction and expansion of that bend, and each of said rings extending radially beyond at least a part of the respective sections, whereby said one ring may be sprung over the other ring to rest therebehind.

7. In a fan guard comprising detachable opposing sections, an elastic ring presented across one section, and an elastic ring presented across the other section, the two rings being presented one toward the other to come into contact in a common plane, at least one of said rings having an integral portion extending laterally therefrom through a U bend whereby the circumferential length of said one ring may be varied by contraction and expansion of that bend, and each of said rings extending radially beyond at least a part of the respective sections, whereby said one ring may be sprung over the other ring to rest therebehind; and abutments spaced laterally from said other ring to receive said one ring therebetween.

8. Means for detachably securing together two frame sections comprising in combination a resilient ring on one frame section having an elastic preformed set therein for a normal diameter; a local deformation in the ring to permit expansion and contraction to provide a variable diameter of the ring; a ring on the second frame for presentation toward the first said ring and having a normal diameter substantially equal REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,577,280 Xippas Mar. 16, 1926 2,259,853 Koch Oct. 21, 1941 20 2,498,968 Viewegh Feb. 28, 1950 

